River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-04-28
DIVORCED by the Legi.lature.

Harrisburg Letter in Philadelphia
Record: One of the legislative COM
mittees yesterday. i'm delving among the
archives of the House of Representa-
{ tives after traces of an old committee
I report, came across document which
! possesses a romantic interest and re-
calls somewhat exciting incident of
/ social life ut the State Capital in 1865,
which never got Into print. and was
I known to but p limited circle at the
/ time. The document is the original of
I House Bill No. 2 of the legislative
session OF 1866, the introduction of
which at the first session at
which the house was fully or
ganized was the first act in
the legislative career of Matthew
). QUAY, now State Treasurer and
United States Senator elect. 1t was
bill to divorce Mary Wilson Mcconnell
from her husband, Henry Lloyd Me-
Cornell. Mrs Mcconnell was the
young and handsome daughter of the
then Gov. Curtin. and thereby hangs
the romance of this story. Through
the efforts of Mr.. Quay and Senator
Lowry of the Crawford district this
divorce bill. without going to commit
tee, passed both Houses of the Legisla-
ture in less than two hours. This was
Jan. 10. 1866. Mr.. Quay, whose fine
hand was seen in the railroading of the
Philadelphia Magistrates bill through
some weeks ago, evidently began to get
onto the rapid legislative methods very
soon in his political career.
Miss Mary Wilson Curtin had Just
budded into her teens when her father
was elected Governor of Pennsylvania,
and was "A schoolgirl when she came to
Harrisburg to live at the Executive
Mansion. She was sprightly, good
natured, and had charming manners.
BY 1865 she had grown to be one of
the handsomest and most entertaining
and most sought after of all the buds of
society here and in Philadelphia, where
she was well known and is still
remem herd as a belle. One evening at
an entertainment ut the Governor
mansion she met young Capt. Henry
Lloyd Mcconnell. a daShing officer of
the army, who was taken i'll during the
reception and was kindly taken care of
by The Governors family. This led to
frequent meetings between Miss Curtin
and young Mcconnell, who was fine
looking fellow, but of no particular
social status, and would not have been
listened to by the Governor as sutton
for the hand of his daughter. But
Cupid and the Captains shoulder-straps
played havoc with the young lady
heart. The result was that one after
noon pair of timid lovers appeared in
the office Of old Squire" Mclaughlin
and asked to be married. The young
lady was yelled. The Justice did not
dream that she was the Governors
daughter, whom he new by sight as
one of the pretty girls of the town. He
readily agreed to preform the cermony.
His little nephew, who was present.
witnessed the marriage certificate. The
young lady gave her name as Miss
Mary Wilson Curtin, with a strong
accent upon the last syllable. The old
Squire andhis nephew are both dead,
but there is still living witness to
this ceremony i'm William
Mclaughlin. the Justices son. who was
home from the War on a furlough, and
happened to be in the office at the time
Capt. Mcconnell, said Mr.. McLaugh-
lin in relating the story of the marriage,
was a very handsome fellow. but guess
that's about all there was i'm him.
The Captain walked down the street
to the Executive Mansion and left his
bride at the door, going to his own
quarters, presumably to let the storm
blow over. The Governor, as was to
have been expected was in a towering
rage when he was told by his daughter
what she had done. The young lady
was hurried on to a boarding. school
and out of reach, and negotiations were
begun with the husband to get him out
of the way as well Gov Curtin's
political power ut that time was gre ter
probably than that Of any man in the
State, and means were found to induce
the young and daring Captain to leave
the State and make no claims upon his
wife, who he was told had repented
of her marriage and didn't care to see
him any more.
In few days the Captain left
Harrisburg and was lost sight of by
his friends here. He subsequently
became a United States Marshal in
the West, where he now lives.
Whether the young bride protested
against the summary way in which
she was snatched from her husbands
arms is a matter of conjecture, but it
was current gossip among the few who
knew of the circumstances that the
irate Governor had locked his daughter
mp in her room i'm the Executive Man
sion until the Captain was out of the
way. The marriage was kept pretty
quiet, considering the circumstances,
and, although the story did leak out in
society in a piecemeal sort of way.
the particulars were never known, and
the papers knew nothing of the affair.
As soon as the Legislature met a
divorce bill was presented, as has been
seen, and the marriage annuled. Since
then Miss Curtin has married gentle
man in every way worthy OF her, is
well known in society circles at the Ma
tional Capital and in New York, and
looks back upon her youthful folly
with the philosophy which comes with